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Commission approves 20‑year lease with Project Lift, adds commission approval for subleases
Summary
The Stuart City Commission unanimously approved Resolution 43‑2026 authorizing a long‑term lease with nonprofit Project Lift for a workforce training facility at 710 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, adding an amendment requiring any assignment or sublease receive written consent of the City Commission.
The Stuart City Commission on June 22 unanimously approved a lease allowing nonprofit Project Lift to operate a workforce training facility built with CDBG‑COVID funds at 710 Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Project Lift will occupy the city‑owned facility under a lease with a 20‑year initial term and three 10‑year renewal options, during which the organization will pay annual rent of $1. The lease ties the building’s use to the grant’s goals and requires reporting to the state during a five‑year compliance period, including documentation that Project Lift creates 50 new jobs during that period.
The city attorney and staff told commissioners the nominal rent reflects that federal CDBG funds paid for acquisition and construction and that the lease requires Project Lift to maintain insurance, indemnify the city, and comply with grant reporting. Project Lift’s representative said the organization expects the first term to be essential to attract multiyear grants and private donors and to provide operational stability.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about assignment and subleasing language in section 11 of the lease after members noted past city properties had been sublet without full commission review. Commissioner Clark and others pressed to require commission review rather than allow the city manager sole approval. As a result, the commission accepted an amendment specifying that any assignment or sublease requires written consent of the Stuart City Commission and that such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed.
Several residents and community leaders spoke during public comment. Some expressed skepticism about whether the project would benefit East Stuart and raised concerns about governance and board composition. Others — including residents who had toured Project Lift’s Hope Sound facility — praised its workforce training, job placement, and community engagement plans and urged approval.
After discussion and the friendly amendment, the commission approved Resolution 43‑2026 by unanimous roll call.
What’s next: The lease is effective on the date indicated in the executed document and includes provisions for reporting and renewal; any future assignment or sublease will be brought before the commission for written consent.
